Devorah Duncan has been principal at San Jose’s Anthony Dorsa Elementary for two years, and already she knows the signs. Some students complain of stomach aches because the school uniform pants they’re wearing — the same ones from last school year — are too tight. Others sit in a self-embrace, using their hands to cover their bare arms in winter because they have only a short-sleeve shirt.

And she knows what a difference it makes to put big smiles on the faces of kids who live in a lower-income neighborhood near King and Story roads. That’s exactly what happens when the youngsters get to open a plastic bag with their name on it and pull out a new uniform.

“It was the biggest, happiest thing that had happened to them,” Duncan said. “For these kids, it’s a real gift.”

One hundred percent of Dorsa’s students qualify for free or reduced lunches, Duncan points out, so it’s unfortunate but not surprising that some parents can’t afford to buy new school uniforms for their growing kids every year. And for some of those students, that’s where the Assistance League of San Jose comes in with Operation School Bell.

Since 1994, the volunteer group, with 115 active members, has provided new uniforms free of cost to some of San Jose’s neediest kids. This school year, Assistance League provided uniform sets to 37 schools in three districts in San Jose, distributing more than 6,800 uniforms to about 3,400 students. (Generally, students get two pants and two shirts per set).

Wish Book readers can help the Assistance League of San Jose expand the program. A donation of $25 provides a uniform set for one child.

It’s a huge process that begins when the Assistance League orders uniforms in bulk and in various sizes each year around February. In July and August, the uniforms are sorted by size and bagged. Then, starting in late August, Assistance League members visit four schools a week to measure students, pick out the correct sizes from the warehouse and deliver the uniforms to the school. The process lasts until early October. And then the Assistance League checks back with schools in January to see if any students need help.

Betty Steinhoff, chairwoman of the Assistance League’s grant-writing committee, said most of the kids are overwhelmed by the process of being fitted for the new clothes.

“One girl kept shaking her head, saying over and over, ‘My parents can’t pay for this,’ ” Steinhoff recalled. “How does a 7-year-old girl have that level of awareness of her family’s financial situation? We had to explain to her that it wouldn’t cost them anything.”

As difficult as it can be, making that personal connection is gratifying to Assistance League members, who can plainly see the effects their philanthropy, said Jo Ann Khoobyarian, who served as the group’s president from 2008 to 2010.

“Our members don’t want to just give money to a cause,” she said. Sometimes, when sizing issues come up, members buy extra uniforms on their own to make sure the students don’t come away empty-handed. “I had one lady who spent the whole day going from store to store,” Khoobyarian said, “finding the correct size for a girl.”

The Assistance League is a national organization that has been around since the late 1880s and really took shape after its roster of prominent Southern California women responded to help victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires. The San Jose chapter was founded in 1983. Operation School Bell is the San Jose chapter’s biggest project, with a budget this year of $65,000, primarily raised through grants.

“The reason we were able to add Dorsa Elementary this year is because we received extra money,” Khoobyarian said. “But we can never meet the entire need that’s out there.”

HOW TO HELP
Readers can help the Assistance League of San Jose outfit students with school uniforms. A donation of $25 provides a uniform set (two pants, two shirts) for one child. Donate to Wish Book at www.mercurynews.info/wishbook or clip the coupon.

Online
To learn more about the Assistance League of San Jose and Operation School Bell, go to www.alsj.org.

Sal Pizarro has written the Around Town column for The Mercury News since 2005. His column covers the people and events surrounding the cultural scene in Silicon Valley. In addition, he writes Cocktail Chronicles, a feature column on Silicon Valley bars and nightclubs.